11 most challenging infra projects in the world

Brazil is struggling to upgrade its roads, airports, public transport, power systems and facilities, and to build new venues for next year’s World Cup as well as the 2016 Olympics.

Such a massive overhaul will require $100 billion investment per year for the next five years, and numerous setbacks have observers worried that the country will not be prepared to manage the massive influx of visitors.

Image: Britain's Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg (R) talks with Brazilian former soccer player Carlos Alberto Torres during a visit at the Maracana Stadium, undergoing renovations for the 2014 World Cup, in Rio de Janeiro.Photographs: Ricardo Moraes/Reuters

11 most challenging infra projects in the world

Mumbai’s first 11.4 km metro line is three years behind schedule, reportedly due to engineering difficulties, but will be operational up to the airport in September and fully-operational by the end of December.

The route, which currently takes 90 minutes by road, will be covered in just 20 minutes - providing badly needed relief to Mumbai commuters.

11 most challenging infra projects in the world

Kenya’s LAPSETT project (Lamu Port and Lamu Southern Sudan-Ethiopia Transport Corridor) was intended to construct a new port, a railway line, a new two-lane highway network, a crude oil pipeline, an oil refinery, and three resort cities.

The project has been estimated at $23 billion, and has been fraught with problems, including backlash from local communities over environmental and social concerns.

11 most challenging infra projects in the world

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe aims to spend $100 billion on infrastructure in the next 15 months to help the economy.

But Japan already has 1.2 million km of roads, 250 bullet trains and 98 airports, leading critics to label new projects unnecessary.

“We cannot simply continue to build roads and infrastructure the way we used to at a time when the population is aging and shrinking," says Takayoshi Igarashi, public policy professor at Hosei University.

11 most challenging infra projects in the world

Indonesia is seeking to build $9 billion worth of water, road, air and seaport projects, but has repeatedly run into problems securing investors; The Financial Times recently cited poor planning, land acquisition problems and lack of coordination as hampering the country’s ambitious infrastructure development plans.

11 most challenging infra projects in the world

The 56-mile road project was intended to connect the port city of Les Cayes with Jeremie, a city in one of Haiti's most neglected regions, and required the resurfacing of a pot-holed road that passes between narrow mountain ranges and fords a flood-prone river.

The unfinished road has become a symbol of how efforts to improve Haiti's infrastructure have run up against the country's land laws.

11 most challenging infra projects in the world

Iraq's infrastructure is dilapidated after decades of war, sanctions and economic decline. In a country where piles of rubble and incomplete buildings are commonplace, almost every sector needs investment, including electricity and the sewage system.

However, the country is laying plans to rebuild its Ottoman Empire-era railways and become a transit hub for goods from Asia to the Middle East.

Image: An aerial view of Baghdad Railway station, where passenger commuter coaches and liquified petroleum gas tankers are parked, as seen from a U.S. military helicopter flying over central Baghdad.Photographs: Erik de Castro/Reuters